• Date - 2005
• Dur - 13'
• Inst - violin, violoncello, piano

This trio, set in a single movement, contains a series of gradually expanding episodes outlining an archlike curve. The piano and cello begin in their lowest registers, not daring to rise above middle C. The violin then enters to break the barrier and continue the piece's gradual upward shift in pitch, dynamics, and intensity. After a rousing climax, the "Malfunction" section simulates the breakdown of machinery, leading toward an inevitably hopeful denoument.

The title Spoon Bender refers to the industrial nature of the work's sometimes astringent, sometimes jazzy melodies. On a practical note, it also refers to the recurring motive of notes that bend by quarter-tones (pitch intervals smaller than those that typically occur in Western scales). Along with this microtonality, the Trio features a slew of other modernist techniques, including complex harmonies, spiky dissonances, odd meters, and exotic scales.

The Trio has yet to offcially premier. The MP3 samples to your right are a realization using MIDI instruments.